The Proust Questionnaire: Mr. Steve Reed

According to Vanity Fair magazine, “the Proust Questionnaire has its origins in a parlor game popularized (though not devised) by Marcel Proust, the French essayist and novelist, who believed that, in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature.” Vanity Fair has celebrities answer the questionnaire each month. The Mirror asked Mr. Steve Reed to consider the questions.

Mr. Steve Reed in his usual spot in the dining room.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?Teaching a class fired up to learn.

What is your greatest fear?

I fear rats (a result of childhood encounters on the farm).

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Phoniness

What is your greatest extravagance?

Eating out.

What is your current state of mind?

Past, current and future, I am always agitated, dissatisfied with myself.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

I could care less about my appearance.

Which living person do you most despise?

Donald Trump (a liar who pretends to be a truth teller).

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

“Jingle Bells” and “Turkeys”

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Candlepin bowling (the only sport I was ever almost good at).

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

A tie between whatever times I may have made some positive difference in someone’s life.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

The Yin/Yang symbol

What is your most treasured possession?

A hockey hat from Finland; one of our first Finnish players gave it to me.

What is your favorite occupation?

It must be teaching since that’s what I began with and will end with.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Voltaire

Who are your heroes in real life?

Thinking of anyone as a hero is the surest path to disappointment, but I admire John Stewart and Stephen Colbert.